Protection device for telephones



PROTECTION DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES Filed June 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l 5@i 16 58 iii 19 O INVENTOR BY Q TTOl flEls i March 5, 1935.

J. R. RODTH PROTECTION DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June3, 1933 INVENTOR QM Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE1,993,382 PROTECTION DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES I Joseph R. Rodth, New York,N. Y. Application June 3, 1933, Serial No. 674,159

10 Claims.

This invention relates to protection devices for telephones.

In many apartment houses, transit stations and other public orsemi-public places, coin-box telephones are usually unattended.Considerable loss has been sufiered because of thieves breaking open thecoin boxes of these telephones or removing the instruments entirely.While the amount of stolen coins may not be large in itself, the ownerof the premises is normally responsible for both the instrument and itscontents. As the robbery of the coins is usually accompanied by seriousdamage to or complete loss of the telephone instrument, this materiallyincreases the monetary loss.

It is an object of the present invention to providea protective devicefor coin-box telephones such that access to the coin box is preventedO1" is rendered extremely diflicult, at least without setting off analarm, and such that removal of the telephone from the wall is preventedor rendered difficult.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of thecharacter referred to that can be installed without any connection to oralteration in the telephone instrument itself.

With these general objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures, combinations, details of construction and arrangements ofparts which will first be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevationof a coin-controlled wall telephone with theprotective device in place, the latter being shown in section on theline 1 -1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the telephone and box, the latter beingpartly in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional 'view on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4--4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the protective box.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit of the alarmsystem, with the lock barrel in longitudinal section.

Fig. '7 is a detail view of the inner end of the lock mechanism,illustrating the lock-operated switch device, and

Fig. 8 a detail transverse sectional view on the line 88, Fig. 6.

} Referring to the drawings, in the embodiment here illustrated as anexample there is provided a box 8, of strongmetal, having its rear sideopen and its top and bottom cutaway to fit around the lower part of theusual coin-box telephone 9 of the wall type. The box is secured to thewall 10 in any suitable manner as, for example, by wall bolts 11connected to the box'8 in any suitable way, as for example, by providingthe inner ends of the wall boltswith perforated flat ears throughwhich'may extend machine screws 12 threaded into holes in the box, asshown in Fig. 4. The box is put in place by first securing the wallbolts 11 to it,. then pushing the wall bolts into the holes in the walland securing them there in any suitable'way, as for example, by nuts atthe-oppositeend of the wall bolts, as shown in Fig. 4. 'A reinforcingstrip 13 around the rear edge of the box protects the fastening bolts 12and increases the difliculty of attempting to pry the box loose from thewall.

It will be seen that the box 8 completely encloses the coin box 14 ofthe telephone. The mere presence of the protective box tends to preventany attemptsto break into the coin box of the protected telephone. .Bybarring access to the coin box,.it makes it necessary for a would-bethief to first remove or break open the protective box and thenbreakopen the coin box; Thesecurely anchored box also tends to prevent anyattempt to remove the telephone entirely, since the telephone cannot bemoved up, down or outwards without previous removal or seriousdeformation of the box. In either case, the protective box, if notpreventing'such robbery, at least renders it'so difiicult' that thethief is discouraged or lacks sui'licient time to carry out his designs.

In order to give authorized access to the telephone .coin box, forcollection of tolls and the like, the box is made in two parts, thefront part 15 being in the nature of a cover. This cover may be hingedto the stationary part of the box, as at 16.

To permit the telephone user .to obtain re-. turned coins withoutopening the box, the box has a window or opening 17 opposite the usualreturn-coin slot of the telephone.

The invention in its entirety includes an alarm and meansfor causing thealarm to be set off when the box cover 'is opened. This may beaccomplished by an electric bell and in structures carrying outtheinvention to what is new considered the best advantage, the box itselfforms part of the alarm circuit. In the embodiment 7 derived from a drycell battery 19. One terminal of the bell 18 is connected with oneterminal 21 of the battery. The other battery terminal 22 contacts witha conductor strip 23having a resilient switch contactor 24, hereinaftermore fully referred to. Associated with switch member 24 is a contactstrip 25 secured to part of the insulating housing 26. Electricallyconnected to strip 25 by a screw 27 is a conductor 28 which isconnected, through a look, as hereinafter described, with the wall ofthe box 8. A conductor 29 connects the wall of the box with the secondterminal 30 of the bell 18, completing the circuit. Thus, when switchelement 24 contacts the strip 25, the circuit is closed and the alarmbell rings.

There is provided means for maintaining a normally open circuit whilethebox cover is in closed position and for closing the circuit, to setoff the alarm, when the box coverzis illegally opened. To this end, ashere shown as an example, carried by an insulating bracket 33 on the boxcover is aset-screw 34, the point of which engages and displaces switchmember 24 when the cover is closed. This engagement holds the switchmember 24 out of contact with the cooperating contact strip 25 and sokeeps the circuit normally open. When, however, the box cover is opened,screw 34 moves away from switch member 24. The latter, by virtue of itsinherent resiliency, swings into contact with strip 25 to closethecircuit. Thereupon the alarm bell sounds as long as the cover remainsopen. As a result, if a thief attempts to pry openthe cover, the alarmsounds. 7

The invention in its entirety includes means whereby the box cover maybe opened by'authorg ized persons without setting oh. the alarm. Thismay be accomplished by locking the box cover closed and causingoperation of the proper key in the lock to break the circuit. In theembodiment here shown as an example, inside the box is a lock indicatedconventionally at 38. This lock may be of anysuitable description such,for example, as the type commonly known as a Yale lock, that is to say,a lock having a rotatable barrel and provided with transverselyextending lock-tumblers. The particular example illustrated in thedrawings is a well known lock on the market and of the generalconstruction shown, for example, in Patents 1,674,513 and 1,789,754, toE. N. Jacobi. The particular details of these locks form no part of myinvention since any such a rotatable barrel lock with tumblers whichextend transversely to lock the barrel against rotation, and which arewithdrawn on the insertion of the key, will serve the purposes when thelockpartsare in looking position, Thus,

the circuit is normally traced from conductor 28 through screw 41, lockpin' ,39, and the body of the lock barrel, toand through the wall of thebox 8 to conductor 29. v

'When the proper key is inserted in the lock barrel, the lock pins are'drawn into the inner cylinder in the usual manner. This separates theend pin from its engagement with screw 41 and so breaks the circuit.Thus, when the box cover is subsequently opened, the alarm does notsound because the circuit, while closed at switch 24, is broken at thelock. As a result, authorized opening of the box can be made withoutsetting off the alarm. In locks of the type illustrated, the rotation ofthe key in one direction rotates the barrel to'lift the latch, indicatedat 50, so that it releases the pin 51 secured to the cover 15 of thebox, thus allowing the box cover or door to be swung open. When the boxcover 15 is closed, the key may be rotated in the opposite direction tocause the latch to engage the pin, thus latching the box cover. When thekey is withdrawn 'from the lock the tumblers spring outward and the boxis locked.

When the cover is again closed and the key Withdrawn, contact is remadebetween the end lock pin 39 and screw 41, to close the circuit at thatpoint. To insure this contact, the screw 41 is preferably so positionedthat the associated lock pin engages the end of the screw before the pinreaches'the end of its normal throw. Re-

closing of the cover, as will be apparent, again dis-' open the circuitanother example, spaced a short distance fromswitch member 24 is a lug43 in electrical connec-' tion with strip 25. The insertion of a metaltool or the like between lug 43 and switch 24 will also close a circuitand sound the alarm.

With the construction described the telephone is protected againstremoval and against pilferage of the toll coins, and at the same timethe protective box is physically independent of the telephone instrumentin that it is installed without any connection with or alteration in thetelephone instrument itself.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, and

in combination, a two-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lowerpart only of a coinbox telephone, means for anchoring the rear portionof the box to a wall, said box having a top arranged to extend over thecoin-box sufiiciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, andhaving an opening registering with the coin-delivery opening of thecoin-box to permit access from the outside to said coin-deliveryopening, the coverlike front portion of the box being separable from theanchoredportion to give access to the coin box, an alarm, and means forcausing actuation of said alarm upon opening of the box cover.

2. In a deviceof the character described, and in combination, atwo-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lower part only of acoin-box tele-' phone, said box having a top arranged to extend over thecoin-box sufiiciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, andhaving an opening registering with the coin-delivery opening of thecoin-box to permit access from the outside to said coin-deliveryopening, means for anchoring the rear portion of the box to a wall, thecover- ]ike front portion of the box being separable, from the anchoredportion to give access to the coin box, an alarm, a circuit foractuating said alarrmand means for maintaining said circuit open whilethe box cover is closed and for causing the circuit to be closed whenthe box cover is opened.

- 3. In a device-oi the character described, and in combination, atwo-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lowerpartonly'oi acoin-b'ox telephone, said box having a top arranged I to extend over thecoin-box suili'ciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, andhaving-an opening registering with thecoin-delivery opening of thecoin-box'to' permit-"access from the outside to said coin-deliveryopening, means for anchoring the rear portion of the box to a wall, thecoverlike front portion of the box being separable from the anchoredportion to give access to the coin box, a lock for locking the coverclosed, an alarm, means for causing actuation of said alarm upon openingof the box cover, and means for rendering said alarm-actuating meansineffective when the opening of the box cover is preceded by theunlocking of said lock.

4. In a device of the character described, and

in combination, a two-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lowerpart only of a coin-box telephone, said box having a top arranged toextend over the coin-box sufficiently to prevent upward removal of thelatter, and having an opening registering with the coin-delivery openingof the coin-box to permit access from the outside to said coin-deliveryopening, means for anchoring the rear portion of the box to a wall, thecover-like front portion of the box being separable from the anchoredportion to give access to the coin box, a lock for locking the box coverclosed, an alarm, a normally open circuit for actuating said alarm,means for causing said circuit to be closed upon opening of the boxcover, and means for causing said circuit to be broken at another pointupon insertion of the proper key in said lock.

5. In a device of the character described, and in combination, atwo-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lower part only of acoinbox telephone, said box having a top arranged to extend over thecoin-box sufliciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, andhaving an opening registering with the coin-delivery'opening of thecoin-box to permit access from the outside to said coin-deliveryopening, means for anchoring the rear portion of the box to a wall, thecover-like front portion of the box being separable from the anchoredportion to give access to the coin box, an alarm, a circuit for saidalarm, a contact element and a spring-pressed switch member included insaid circuit, and means carried by the box cover for displacing saidswitch member from said contact element to break the circuit when thebox cover is in closed position.

6. In a device of the character described, and in combination, a metalbox capacitated to enclose the lower part only of a coin-box telephone,said box having a top arranged to extend over the coin-box suflicientlyto prevent upward removal of the latter, and having an openingregistering with the coin-delivery opening of the coin-box to permitaccess from the outside to said coindelivery opening, an alarm, anormally open circuit for actuating said alarm, said circuit includingtwo slightly separated contact elements, whereby the circuit may beclosed, to actuate the alarm, upon the insertion of a metal tool betweensaid two elements.

7. In a device of the character described, and in combination, atwo-piece metal box capacitated to enclose the lower part only of acoin-box telephone, said box having a top arranged to extend over thecoin-box sufficiently to prevent upward removal of the latter; andhaving an opening registering with the coin-delivery opening of "the"ccir'i box to permit access front-theoutside to said coin-deliveryopening, means for anchoring the rear portion-of the box toa wall, thecover-like "front portion'bf the box being separable-"from the anchoredportion to give access to 'the' coin--box',-an alarm,'"-ai circuit foractuating the alarm, said circuit including the box itself, a contactelement and a spring-pressed switch element, a conducting set-screwcarried by and insulated from the box cover and positioned to engage anddisplace said switch member when the box cover is in closed position,the

head of said set-screw being located in proximity to said opening,whereby the insertion of a metal tool through the opening in a manner tobridge the box wall and set-screw will close a circuit to actuate thealarm.

8. In a protective device for coin-box telephones, the combination, witha metal box capacitated to enclose the lower portion only of thetelephone, said box having a top arranged to extend over the coin-boxsufliciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, and having anopening registering with the coin-delivery opening of the coin-box topermit access from the outside to said coin-delivery opening, said metalbox having a door, key-controlled means for locking said door, and meansfor anchoring the metal box to the wall, of an alarm device within themetal box, means carried by the door for causing said alarm device to beset in operation on opening the door, and means actuated by theunlocking of the lock for rendering said alarm device inoperative.

9. In a protective device for coin box telephones, the combination, witha metal box capacitated to enclose the lower portion only of thetelephone, said box having a top arranged to extend over the coin boxsufiiciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, and having anopening registering with the coin delivery opening of the coin box topermit access from the outside to said coin delivery opening, said metalbox having a door, keycontrolled means for locking said door and meansfor anchoring the metal box to the wall, of an electrical alarm devicewithin the metal box, a circuit in which the alarm device and the metalbox are included, a contact device, a circuit-closing device yieldinglypressed toward the said contact device, both the contact device and thecircuit-closing device being connected to the electrical circuit, a pincarried by the door and insulated therefrom, said pin being arranged topress said circuit-closing device out of contact with said contactdevice when the door is closed and to re-' lease said circuit-closingdevice and allow it to close the circuit when the door is open, andmeans actuated by the unlocking of the door for opening the circuit ofthe electrical alarm device.

10. In a protective device for coin box telephones, the combination,With a metal box capacitated to enclose the lower portion only of thetelephone, said box having a top arranged to extend over the coin boxsufiiciently to prevent upward removal of the latter, and having anopening registering with the coin delivery opening of the coin box topermit access from the outside to said coin delivery opening, said metalbox having a door, key-controlled means for locking said door, and meansfor anchoring the metal box to the wall, of an electrical alarm devicewithin the metal box, a circuit in which the alarm device and the metalbox are included, two contact devices, a

circuit-closing device yieldingly'pressed toward one of the said contactdevices and arranged to contact with the other contact device whenforced inward beyond its normal range of movement, both the contactdevices and the circuit-closing device being connected to the electricalcircuit, a pin carried by the door and insulated therefrom, said pinbeing arranged to press said circult-closing device out of contact withsaid contact device when the door is closed and to release saidcircuit-closing device and allow it to close the circuit when the dooris open, and means actuated by the unlocking of the door for opening thecircuit of the electrical alarm device.

JOSEPH R. RODTH.

